"People want to know that if a life is at risk, help is there as fast as possible and this is what this new protocol is designed to do."

The state opposition said the new protocols came "far too late".

"The opposition welcomes the appointment of Phil Koperberg to implement these changes, but it should not have taken the death of a fisherman over the weekend to force the health minister and the O'Farrell government into action," Labor MP for Maroubra Michael Daley said in a statement.

"The health minister has known about this problem since March and done absolutely nothing about it.